Packaging apparatus



B. T. HENSGEN ET AL 2,790,288

April 3o, 1957 PACKAGING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 1 Filed Jan. 25, 1954 6 Q\ E/ Y www c l WMM/M h EH @L m 4 A A y M5 MF le. E Y B .wlmv w; :msi HW. Wm

April 30, 1957 B. T. HENsGEN Erm. 2,790,288

PACKAGING APPARATUS med Jan. 25, 1954 4 sheets-sheet 2 ATTEIVEY w 2 INVENToRs BERNARD 7: ffm/56E# April 30, 1957 B. T. HENSGEN ET AL 2,790,288

PACKAG ING APPARATUS 4 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Jan. 245, 1954 3 N 4 m u www m www@ NWE Z E H 9 v wz 9 v Imy 9 Am @a E i om 5 E /f \m\9 W ATT/Q/VEY April 30, 1957 B. T. Hx-:NsGEN E1' A1. 2,790,288

PACKAGING APPARATUS Filed Jan. 25, 1954 4 Sheets-Sheet 4 BY /Jg/ A T TOR/VEY United States Patent O PACKAGING APPARATUS Bernard T. Hensgen and Henry Hertwig, Chicago, Ili., assignors to Swift & Company, Chicago, Ill., a corporation of Illinois Application January 25, 1954, Serial No. 405,966

13 Claims. (Cl. 53-167) The present invention relates generally to an improved mechanism for the weighing and packaging of material. More specically the invention is directed to a device with which a package may be formed from a carton blank, the product may be weighed in the formed package without removing the package from the device, and the package completed on the device without involving any transfer of ingredients or materials utilized.

Heretofore, the operation of packaging material has involved several independent steps carried out at isolated points. For example, where the product to be packaged is supplied from a bulk source, it has been necessary to separately weigh out individual. quantities in accordance with the desired weight of t..e finished product. This has been a completely separate operation and has usually involved the complete attention of a number of operators. An entirely different group of operators have had the job of forming carton blanks into packages and to supply still a third group of operators with the individual packages suitable for receiving the measured quantities of product. This third group of operators has then combined the measured product and preformed packages, sealed them, and boxed them ready for shipment.

As can be seen from this type of operation, the number of operators involved is quite high considering the lack of complexity of each individual operative step. lt has been found that when the cost of weighing and packaging the product has been compared with the cost of producing the product, the former cost constituted a rather high precentage of the total cost passed on to the consumer. As a result it has been considered quite desirable to provide a weighingl and packaging operation, which requires a reduced number of operators and a lesser amount of handling of the product and packages.

It is therefore an object of the present invention to provide a weighing and packaging device with which a single operator may carry out all of the steps necessary in the weighing and packaging of a product,

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a package forming and scale protecting device suitable for use in conjunction with weighing apparatus.

Another object of the present invention is Ato provide a locking device suitable for cooperation with the weight sensitive means of a scale and which is operatively controlled by the operation of the package forming mechanism.

Still another object of the present invention is to provide a locking means suitable for protecting the weight sensitive means of a scale which is so constructed as to not require close adjustment prior to or during the operation thereof.

Another object of the present invention is to provide suitable package forming means capable of quickly and effectively forming packages from carton blanks.

Still another object of lthe present invention is to provide suitable package forming means which do not require close adjustment or excessive maintenance.

ice

The present invention will be clearly described in conjunction with the accompanying drawings in which similar character references identify similar parts -in the various views.

In the drawings:

Figure l is a side View of the apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 2 is a front view of the apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 3 is a top view of a portion of the apparatus taken along the line 3 3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a plan view of a female die suitable for use with the apparatus of the present invention.

Figure 5 includes a cross-sectional view of the female die taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4 and including a showing of the beginning of the cooperation of a male die with the female die.

Figure 6 includes a view of the female die similar to Figure 5 taken along the line 5-5 of Figure 4 but showing the male die in its iinal position following the package forming operation.

Figure 7 includes a cross-sectional view ofthe female die of Figure 4 taken along the line 7-7 of Figure 4 and also showing the full male die in its cooperation with the female die at a point at the commencement of the package forming operation.

In referring to Figure l, a frame 10 is shown which is capable of supporting the apparatus which forms the present invention and which also contains suitable legs for elevating the apparatus to operational level. Bolted to the frame l@ is a scale housing 11 which includes as integral parts thereof the indicator i2 and the counterbalance mechanism i4. As is conventional in scales of this type, the counterbalance mechanism comprises pan housings 1S mounted on an arm 16 which is balanced at its center by the fulcrum 18. The pan housings support pan i9 and female die 20 which will be later described in full detail. The pan housings 15 are in turn operatively connected to the weight sensitive means of the scale by means of pan rods, one of which is shown at 22. in Figure 2. The pan rods move vertically in respouse to the difference in weights between the material placed on the pan 19 and female die 20. This diflerence in weight is then recorded by the indicator 12. The type of scale described is conventional and is the type quite commonly used for measuring out exact quantities of material.

Forming a part of the frame 10 are vertical members 23. These members support a cross-member 24l which is clearly shown in Figure 2. The cross-member 24 carries bearings 26 which are also shown in Figure 2. lournaled within the bearings 26 is a shaft 27. Fixedly mounted on the shaft 27 is an arm Ztl. A male die 3i) is mounted on the free end of the arm 28 and the shaft 27 is rotated by movement of an operating arm 31. The male `die will be more fully described in conjunction with Figure 2. The operating arm 31 is counterbalanced by counter-weight 32. A substantially vertical arm 34 is also operatively associated with the shaft 27. A ball joint 35 forms the other end of the arm 34. The ball joint is operatively connected to a ball joint arm 36. The ball joint arm 36 has a jam nut 38 associated with one of its ends. An internally shouldered nut 39 is also mounted onY the ball joint arm 36 and its movement is controlled by the jam nut 38. A horizontal rod 4l) extends through the internally shouldered nut 39 and has one end thereof positioned within a hollow portion 42 of the ball joint arm 36. This end of the rod 42 contains a collar lock 43 against which is urged one end of a spring 4.4. The other end of the spring 44 is held into position by the internal shoulder of the nut 39. Mounted on thel other end of the horizontal rod 4e .is a clevis d6. The clevis includes arms 47 and d which are operatively attached to one end of a restricting arm di?. The restricting arm is pivotably mounted on the frame lit? by means of post 50. Collar 51 is mounted on the horizontal rod d@ and is also attached to one end of spring 52 which in turn .is connected to a plate 54 at the other' end thereof. The plate is bolted to frame and thereby anchors the spring which in turn aids the movement of horizontal rod 40 as will later be explained.

In Figure 2 the restricting arm 49 more clearly shown. This arm has an enlarged U-shapetl sect.on at one end thereof. This enlarged L|-shape.. section 55 is positioned so as to be capable of encompassing the pad rod 22. The shaft 27 also has a spring holder 56 positioned thereon. The spring holder incl'. 58 which contains a bearing S9 therethru able for connection with a foot operated lever. A spring 60 is mounted on shaft 27 and one end thereof, held by the spring holder 56. The other cnd of spring is s1 itably held by the cross-member 212 of the vertical mer-obers 2.3 although such is not shown on the drawings. Spring holder 56 is fixedly mounted on shaft 27 and contains lug 62 extending to one side thereof. The lug 62 co operates with a similar lug carried by the collar 63 through which the shaft 27 is rotatably journaled. The collar 63 forms a portion of the arm 34 and thereby controls the movement of the arm. As can be seen in Figure 2, there is a space between the lug 62 and the lug of the collar 63. lug 62 must rotate with the shaft 27 sutllciently to close the space and contact the lug of the collar before the arm 34 is put into operation. As the collar is not fixed to the shaft its motion is supplied by the contact of the lug 62.

The arm 28 ends in a projection 6d which is of a rectangular shape. The male Adie has two mounting ears 66 which encompass the projection 64 and are attached thereto by a shaft 67 which is locked into place by rt a head taining rings 68. The male die mounted on the projection 64 in such a manner as to allow a slight clearance as shown by the dotted lines 70 and 71 in Figure l, the dotted line 70 representing the back inner-surface of the male die 30 and the dotted line 7i representing the` front surface of projection 64. This slight clearance between the two elements provides the male die 3i) with a limited pivotable motion about the shaft 67.

Figure 3 is a plan View of the operative connection betwen the horizontal rod and the restricting arm 49.

The restricting arm 49 is partially supported by the frame 'Ti 10 by means of the post 59. Bolt 72 holds the restricting arm 49 against the post 5t) and yet allows the restricting arm 49 to pivot about the post 5F). The restricting arm 49 contains shoulders 74 on the portion which extends beyond the point of attachment to post The total pivotable motion of restricting arm 49 is controlled by the abutment of shoulders 74 against the adjustable screws 75 which are mounted in the upper portion of the wing shaped projections 76. These wing-shaped projections may be further seen in Figures l and The adjustable screws 75 are held in position by adjusting nuts 7f3. Shaft 79 pivotably attaches the end restricting arm 49 to the clevis arms 47 and 48 attached to the horizontal rod 40, The shaft 79 is locked into position by retaining rings 80, one of which is shown in Figure 3. Base 2 shown in part in Figure 3 is bolted to the frame l0 ant supports post in a vertical position.

In the operation of the device as described up to this point, a carton blank is placed in 'position on the female die 20. The operative parts of the device are in the positions as shown in Figure l. To form the carton blank into a package, the operating arm 3l. is moved in a direc tion generally toward the female die 2G. The operating arm 31, being fixedly mounted on the shaft 27, causes the shaft to rotate within the bearings 26 and the collar 63.

During the operation of the device the The arm 28 supporting the male die 30, also being fixedly mounted to the shaft 27, moves in a direction generally towards the female die 20. During the course of this operation, the male die 30 follows the general path as indicated in Figure l by the line 83. The spring holder 56 being i'ixedly mounted on the shaft 27 also rotates with the shaft 27, operating arm 31, and die holding arm 28. Due to the positioning of the spring 6i) as shown, the rotation of spring holder 56 causes the spring to unwind slightly. The force of this spring is overcome at this point of the operation but later comes into play in aiding the return of the male die and operating arm to their initial positions following the package forming operation. The counterwei-ght 32 also eventually aids the spring to return these elements to a position of rest.

The lug 62 of spring holder 56 rotates with the shaft A itually abuts the lug forming a part of the While the lug 62 is covering the space beween it and the lug forming a part of the collar 63, the generally vertical arm 34 remains .in a position of rest. Therefore, during the first portion of the total movement of the male die 30, no movement takes place among the parts which make up the locking mechanism. This par.- ticular arrangement cuts down on the distance of travel the locking mechanism must make in order to operate in conjunction with the pan rod 22 and pan housing l5 supporting the female die 20. This feature along with other features, which will presently be described, overcomes the necessity of fine adjustments during the assen'- bling and operation of the device.

At a point during the rotation of the shaft 27 the lug 62 of the spring holder 56 abuts the lug forming a part of the collar 63 and subsequently causes the generally vertical arm 34 to rotate with the shaft 27. The male die 30 at this point of the operation is in close proximity to contact with the female die 20. As the shaft 27 con` tinues to rotate, the arm 34 approaches a vertical position and the ball joint 35 operates to move thc ball joint arm 36 in a horizontal plane in a direction toward the vertical members 23. The movement of the ball joint arm 36 causes the horizontal rod 40 to move in substantially the same direction and causes the restricting arm to rotate about the pivot point formed by the bolt 72 and post 50. The clevis 46 exhibits an even pull on the shaft 79 thereby causing the restricting arm 49 to rotate on post 50. The restricting arm 49 moves in such a manner as to bring its enlarged U-shaped end into position between the pan housing 15 and the scale the male die 30 is pivotably attached to the arm 2S by housing 11. At the point of operation where the male die 30 comes into actual contact with the female die 20 and is in proper position to exert pressure against the carton blanks positioned on the female die 2G, the en* larged Ushaped section 55 is in a position to block any substantial downward movement of the pan housing 15 supporting the female die, toward the scale housing 11. Thus as the carton blank is formed into a package by the pressure exerted by the male die 30 against the female die 20, all substantial and possibly damaging vertical movement of the pan housing 15 is restricted and no damage is done to the weight sensitive mechanism in the scale housing 11.

The device of the present invention is so designed to require practically no fine adjustments in the `assembling and operation thereof. As shown in Figure l,

shaft 67. The back surface of the male dic, designated by the dotted line in Figure l, is not mounted tightly against the front surface of the projection 64 of the arm 28. The clearance which exists between these two surfaces is shown by the relationship of the dotted lines 70 and 71 in Figure 1. Such pivotable mounting provides the male die with a slight degree of pivotable action which in turn allows the male die to change its pnsition sufficiently during its cooperation with the female die 20 and thereby becoming properly aligned with the female die without criticallyl adjusting the relative positions of any other part. This particular feature will be more fully described in connection with the detailed description of the male and female die.

Another important feature of the device' resides in the particular manner in which the rod 40 is yieldably mounted in the hollow portion 42 of the ball joint `arm 36. As can be clearly seen in Figure l, the ball joint arm 36 contains a recess in a portion thereof and is externally threaded at one end of this recess to receive the jam nut 38 and the internally shouldered nut The rod 40 extends through the center portion of the nut 39 and into the housing 42-. Within this housing the end of rod 40 is held by the spring 44 which abuts the internally shouldered nut 39 and the lock washer 43 at its ends. The tension of spring 44 urges the end of rod 40 into the hollow portion 42 and provides a proper degrec of play in the locking mechanism so as to require no pin-point adjustment of the mechanism and also avoid excessive strain on any parts of the mechanism itself or any other parts which the mechanism operates against. For example, as described above, when the lug 62 of the spring holder 56 contacts the lug portion of the collar 63 and thereby causes t-he .arm 34 to pull the rod 40, the full travel of the rod 40 is transmitted to the restricting arm t9 which pivots about the point 50. As the enlarged U-Shaped section 55 of the restricting arm 49 has a relatively short distance to travel from its initial resting point to contact with the pan rod 22, it is necessary to make allowances for any excessive travel of the generally vertical arm 34. It is considered necessary to provide the arm 34 with a slight excess of travel to ensure complete blocking by the U-shaped section 55 of any vertical movement of the pan housing l5 toward the scale housing il. When this excess of travel is not fully utilized the arrangement between rod 4t) and ball joint arm 36 absorbs the excess travel of arm 34 and the enlarged U-shaped section is not forced against pan rod 22 sutliciently to cause any damage. As can be seen in Figure l, the excess travel of arm 34 is absorbed by the partial withdrawal of rod 40 from the hollow housing portion 42 of the ball joint arm 36. The spring 44 is compressed between the internally shouldered nut 39 and the lock washer 43 so as to allow the partial withdrawal of the end of rod 40 from the ball joint arm housing. This particular function of the locking mechanism comes into play at a point Where the male die Sti is forceably in Contact with the female die 2t). At this point of the operation, the greatest amount of force is applied to the operating arm 31 so as to insure proper formation of a package from the carton blank held by the female die. The yieldable connection between rod 40 and ball joint arm 36 Ialso overcomes any need for close adjustment in assembling the device for operation. As can be seen, a considerable amount of error can be compensated for by such an arrangement and due to the varying amount of compensation the 4attachment provides the apparatus, no substantial adjustment is necessary during continuous operation of the device.

An additionai protective device provided for the purpose of alleviating any damage occurring as la result of an excessive force being applied against the pan rod 22 by the enlarged U-shaped section 55, is that which is shown in Figure 3. Here again the total travel of the enlarged section 55 around its pivot point as defined by post 5i) is restricted by the abutment of the shoulders 74, which form a part of the restricting arm 49, with the adjustable screws 75. Wing-shaped projections 76 form a part of the pivot post 50 and carry the adjustable screws which in turn carry the adjusting nuts 78 for iixing the desired adjustment of the screws. As kthe restricting arm 49 moves through its complete travel, the adjustable screws 7S contact the respective opposing shoulders 74 so as to halt the travel of the restricting arm 6 49 at any desired point. As stated above, it is necessary only to surround the pan rod 22 with the enlarged U-shaped section 55 in order to properly restrict the vertical movement of the pan housing 15 which supports the female die 2d. it is not necessary to direct any horizontal force against the pan rod 22. in fact it is desirable to alleviate any horizontal strain with respect to the pan rod 22. as such a strain might damage the weighing mechanism and thereby render the apparatus inoperable. Such an arrangement as shown in Figure 3 'fully alleviates any possibility of supplying a detrimental horizontal force against the pan rod 22. As explained above, the additional travel of arm 34 is compensated for by the yieldable attachment between rod 40 'and ball joint arm housing 36.

Upon the conclusion of the package forming operation it is necessary to return the enlarged U-shaped section 55, the male die Sid, and all other associated parts to their original positions. rlhe spring ed mounted on the shaft 2"? urges the spring holder 56 in the opposite direction and aids in rotating the shaft Z7 in the opposite direction thereby aiding the elements mounted on the shaft to return to their initial positions. The counterweight 32 also aids in this phase of the operation by urging the operating arm 31 "back into its generally vertical position and, dite to the fixed connection between the operating arm 3i and the shaft 27, the shaft is thereby urged to rotate in the opposite direction. As to the travel of the restricting arm 49, -sulicient force is supplied to the locking mechanism to urge the enlarged U- shaped portion out from under the housing id and thereby remove all restriction against vertical movement from contact withr the pan housing 15 and associated female die 255. The combined action of spring 44 and spring provides suilcient force to bring this about. The spring urges the bali joint arm 36 back along the rod and `thereby aids in returning the generally vertical arm 34 to its initial position. The spring 52 is connected to the rod by the collar S1 at one end thereof, and is connected to the plate 54 at the other end thereof which in turn is bolted to the base S2 of the post 5t). As the rod is moved in a general direction toward the indicator 7.,?. during the package forming operation, the collar Si travels with the rod and expands the spring The spring is thereby in a position to aid in the return of rod ad to its initial position. Such action is accomplished by the removal of the actuating force from the operating arm 3i subsequent to the package forming operation. Collar Sli is a conventional friction type col-v lar which contains a bore in a portion of it which is of a diameter just slightly greater than the outside diameter of the rod dd. When the collar 51 is moved along rod 4d while being held in a position perpendicular to the axis of the rod dit, no friction is produced. However, when the collar is angled, as shown in Figure l, movement along the rod d@ is impossible` due to the friction produced. As the spring 52 urges the rod 4i) back into its initial position, the restricting arm is also moved suiciently to take the enlarged U-shaped section out of contact with the housing.

With the package formed, the apparatus is then ready to carry out the product weighing step. The package is formed in an open condition capable of receiving product within the center portion thereof so that upon the subsequent deliverance of the proper amount of product the may be closed and removed from the die 259 in a finished condition. During the weighing step, the pan housing supporting the female die 2l@ is free to move vertically due to the removal of the enlarged lJ-shaped section S5 from the position about the pan rod 2.2. The operator deposits an amount of product on top of the partially formed package on the female die and adds or subtracts small amounts of product from that originally deposited until the amount of product present on the package properly counterbalances syradssa `"I" the standard weight positioned on the pan .1.9. With the type of scale shown in the drawi` iur 12 shows the operator when such a bai The operator then closes the package w inside, seals the package and renie-ves it from tb r..- male die in a finished condition. The female die then clear and ready to receive another carton blank and the package forming cycle is carried ont.

The actual transformation of a carton blank into n package is brought about by cooperation tive female die 20 and the male die A: eral of the views, the female die contain a portion 84 and sloped valleys which opposite directions with respect to each otht extend from two opposite sides of 'the rc 84. The position of the sloped va to the recessed portion S4 may be c 2, 4, and 7. The male die 30 conv portion 87 having ear-like proiec' two opposite sides of the die. The tain thickened ends 90 which may clearly Figure l. On the surface of the female die blank retaining means are positioned which inc 91, guides 92, and stop 94. The stop SVT. contains bent over top portion suitable for "eiving t f tt' the foremost edge of a carton blank. 92 contain adjustable `screws 99 ...if the double nuts 100. Additional elc face of the female die include project; tain flat corners 96 and wedge surfl corners are clearly shown in Figure l whereas the we surfaces are shown in Figures l and. 5.

ln the operation of the male and s, a t of wrapping material designated i by the line 102 is positioned over the recessed port in o i a', A carton blankv generally desig line 103 is next put into pl ce t thc female die. The carton blank contar'" and 107. rthe foremost edge of the carton blank 103 is one of the flaps and is slid. if "e f projection of the stop 9i.. The sit most flap 104, are aligned between thc tioned near the stop 91. The centra! carton blank is in line with the ist, "si the of the foretively. The remainins llap 10d justable screws within the area .ie guides 92 which carry thc adiustable sc the 94. At this point in the operation blah held in a bowed position on the overhang. portion of f the surface of the die while the adju raise the center portion of the carton blanks from the surface the die.

The actual package 'forming operation takes place upon contact between the male and female di The various stages of such an operation are shown in Figures 5, 6, and 7. In Figure 5 the male d shown position just immediately following its initial Contact wifi the carton blank supported by the 'female die. At thi., point of thc operation, the raised central por on B7 of the male dic has attened carton blank on the female die by forcing the aps 107 into a vertical position with respect to the carton blank. rl`his is carried out by the downward thrust of the male die forcing the main body porti' n of thc carton blank past the proiections 95. In doing this the top surface ofthe projection 9S acts against the llaps 107 to fold them at a right angle with respect to the main body portion of the carton blank. In continuing the downward travel of the male die the raised central portion Si? enters into the recessed portion 84 of the female die and in doing so folds the carton blank into a cup-shaped 'form as clearly shown in Figure 6. The flaps 104 and 106 are pulled inwardly by this action and as a result, the flaps 107 are again folded at a 90 degree angle to a position as shown by the dotted lines in Figure 6. The sharp edges of the raised central portion 87 of the male die sharply define the ioidc l edges of the package while the rim 108 of the male die cooperates to press a portion of the flaps 104 against the top surface of the female die as shown in Figure 6. Simultaneously with this operation the projections of the male die cooperate with the flaps 106 which or' '1y rested on the top surface of the projections 95, to force the flaps down past the wedging surfaces 98 and iiush against the top surface of the sloped valleys 86. The initial phase of this part of the operation is shown in Figure 7 where the male die is shown in a position similar tc of Figure 5, As appears in Figure 7, the projections l are at a point of initial contact with the aps 106. As the male die descends into the position shown in Figure 6, the projections force the flaps 105 against the top surfaces of the sloped valleys 86 and in doing so forces the edges of the flaps 106 down past the wedging surfaces 98. Upon the completion of this operation the wedging surfaces 08 cooperate with the flaps 106 to retain the flaps within the recessed area defining the sloped valleys s6. p

Following the above described operation the package is formed and is in condition to receive a measured quantity of product. In order to retain the package in its formed condition during the filling operation, and after the male die has been removed from Contact with the package and female die, the wedge surfaces 93 retnio the ilaps 106 within the arca defined by the sloped s S6 while the adjustable screws 99 cooperate to retain one of the llaps 10d in position. An additional feature which aids in the ervation the form of the package is the use of carton blanks which are scored along lines which eventually form the edges of the packa As previously described, upon the return of the male die to its initial position out oli' contact with the female die 20, the package is ready to receive a measured quantity of product. Amounts of product are introduced into the recestcrl portion of the package while the package is retained on the female dic. Quantities of product are either added or subtracted in accordance with the reaction -f the w eht sensitive mechanism as shown by the scale indicator if... Upon the obtaining of the proper amount of product, the various ilaps 104 and 106 of the package are orceably removed out of contact with the retaining means on the surface of the die 20 and are folded into their proper position to completely close off the package. The wrapping material 102, such as polyvinylidene chloride normally sold under the trademark Saran, or any other suitable transparent material, is then folded completely around the ackage and heat sealed into position. This entire operation may be carried out while using thc female die 2d as a supporting surface. Any movement against the weight sensitive mechanism of the scale as a result of this operation is of not such great magnitude as to cause damage to the sensitive portion of the scale, As has been previously stated, a single operator may carry out the complete operation of package forming, product t2/eign.' and pacl gc sealing while remaining at the same location and while consuming a ,clativcly short period of time. In fact, the same operator may also fill shipping cartons with the iinished package without materially lengthening the time necessary to process an individual package. As earlier indicated with respect to the spring holder S6 shown in Figures l and 2, a 'foot pedal operation may be employed in actuating the carton forming and scale locking mechanism. The sp holder 56 contains a bearing 59 through which proper linkage may be made with a foot pedal thereby allowing the operator to have both hands free during the operation.

Gne of the main features of the apparatus of the present invention resides in the combination of package forming and weighing operations without requiring complicated mechanical action. As hasbeenpointed out, the apparatus is so constructed that no fine adjustment is necessary in order to place the apparatus into operation and maintain continuous operation. The locking mechanism is directly actuated by operation of the package forming elements and thereby is dependably synchronized with such operation so as to provide maximum efficiency. The locking mechanism includes among its elements safe guards which protect the scale mechanism from excessive wear or abuse. The safeguards provided are simple in structure, contain few moveable parts, thereby reducing wear, and are highly eiiicient for the purposes desired. The dies are so constructed as to efficiently form carton blanks into packages without the necessity of any great skill on the part of the operator. The dies are relatively simple in structure and contain relatively few parts. These features, of course, cut down the initial cost and operating costs. The scale shown in the drawings is of a conventional type and it should be obvious that any suitable scale may be utilized in conjunction with the device described.

Obviously, many modifications and variations of the invention as hereinbefore set forth may be made without departing from the spirit and scope thereof, and therefore only such limitations should be imposed as are indicated in the appended claims.

We claim:

l. A device for use in preparing vpackages filled with a given amount of product from carton blanks, said device comprising a frame, a scale mounted on said frame, said scale having weight-sensitive means, a male die, mounting means attached to said frame and said male die to permit movement of the die along a generally vertical line toward and away fro-m said weight-sensitive means, a female die mounted onsaid weight-sensitive means and intersecting said line whereby said male die and female die cooperate to form cartons from blanks, and restricting means mounted on said frame and operatively connected to said mounting means to support said female die as said male die moves against a blank placed over said female die.

2. A device for use in preparing packages filled with a given amount of product from carton blanks, `said device comprising a frame, a scale mounted on said frame, said scale having weight-sensitive means, a male die, mounting means attached to said frame andsaid male die to permit vmovement of the die'along .a-generallyvertical line toward and awayfrom'said weight-sensitive means, said male die being pivotably attached to said mounting means, a female die mounted on said weightsensitive means and intersecting said line whereby said maledie and `female die cooperate to form cartons from blanks, means on said female die for vmaintaininga blank in position during the 'transformation of said blanks into a carton, and restricting means mounted on saidrframe and operatively connected tosaid mountingmeans to support said female die as said male die moves against a blank placed over said female die. f

3. A device for use in preparing packages filled with a given amount of product from carton blanks, said device comprising a frame, a scale mounted on said frame, said scale having weight-sensitive means, a male die, mounting means attached to said frame and saidmale die to permitmovement of the die along a'generally verticaliinetoward and away from said weight-sensitive means, a female die mounted oir-saidweight-sensitive means and intersecting said .line-whereby said male` die and female die cooperate to form cartons from blanks, positioning means suitable for properly aligning a blank on said female die, including a stop mounted on said female die for receiving :the foremost edge of a blank, holding means associated with said positioning means for maintaining a blank in proper relation to said female die, wedging means associated with the recessed portion 10 of said femalev diefor retaining a cartonforrned from a blank' in the female die, and restricting means mounted on said frame and operatively connected to said mounting means to support said female die as said male die moves against a blankl placed over said female die.

4. A device for use in preparing packages filled with a given amount of product from carton blanks, said device comprising a frame, a scale mounted on said frame, said scale having weight-sensitive means, a male die, mounting means attached to said frame and said male die to permit movement of the die along a generally vertical line toward and away from said weight-sensitive means, a female die lmounted on said weight-sensitive means and intersecting said line whereby said male die and female die cooperate to form cartons from blanks, a series of linked arms mounted on said frame and operatively connected to said mounting means to support said female die as said male die moves against a blank placed over said female die, means limiting the total travel of said series, and a limitably yieldable means forming a connection between some of the arms of said series.

5. A restricting device suitable for use with weighing and package-forming apparatus, wherein the packageforming mechanism acts against the weight-sensitive mechanism of said weighing and packaging apparatus, which comprises a series of linked arms actuated by said package-forming mechanism, said series including a gen-- erally vertical arm associated at one end thereof with said package-forming mechanism, an arm housing movably attached to the other end of said vertical arm, a generally horizontal arm having one end thereof limitedly yieldably mounted in said arm housing, a restricting arm pivotally mounted on said weighing 4and package-forming apparatus and attached at one end thereof to said generally horizontal arm, said restricting arm actuated by said package-forming mechanism throughout said series so that said weight-sensitive mechanism is restricted against substantial movement during the package-forming operation, means associated with said restricting arm to limit the total travel thereof, and resilient means associated with said series for urging said restricting arm out of operative association with said weight-sensitive mechanism during the Weighing operation.

6. A device suitable for forming packages from carton blanks, said device comprising a die, a raised portion on the surface of said die, projections mounted on opposite sides of vsaid raised portion, said projections having their top surfaces indented with respect to the top surface of said raised portion, a second die, a recessed portion onrr said second die over which a carton blank is placed, said recessed portion adapted to receive said raised portion of said first-mentioned die, depressions extending from opposite sides of said recessed portion and adapted to receive said projections, guides associated with thevsurfaceE of said second diefor aligning a carton blank with respect to said recessed portion and said depressions, at least one of said guides'includingia stop for limiting the movement of a blank across the surface of said second die, holding means associated with said guidesfor holding a blank in close proximity tto the surface of said second die, folding means associated with said recessed portion along the edges'thereof for partially folding portions of a pack- `age during the'fforming thereof, and wedging means associated with said depressions for retaining a package in contact with said second die following the formation thereof.

7. A packages'f'orming device for use with the weightsensitive means of a scale, said device comprising a frame, a male die movably mounted on said frame, a female die for mounting on the weight-sensitive means, said male die being adapted to cooperate with said female die to form a package, and restricting means associated with said frame and operatively connected with said male die to support said female die during cooperation between said male die and said female die.

8. A packageforming device for use with the weightsensitive means of a scale, said device comprising a frame, a male die movable mounted on said frame, a female die mounted on the weight-sensitive means, said male die adapted to cooperate with said female die to form a package, a series of linked arms associated with said frame and operatively associated with said male die to support said female die during cooperation between said male die and female die, and limitedly yieldable means forming a connection between the ari-ns of said series.

9. A package-forming device for use with the weight sensitive means of a scale, said device comprising a frame, a male die movably mounted on said frame, a female die mounted on the weightscnsitive means, said male die adapted to cooperate with said female die to form a package, a series of linked arms actuated by the movement of Said male die, said series including a generally vertical arm associated at one end thereof with said male die, an arm housing movably at c hed to the other end of said vertical arm, a generally horizontal arm having one end thereof limitcdly yieldably mounted in said arm housing, a restricting arm suitable for pivotablc attachment to a scale connected at one end thereof to said generally horizontal arm, said restricting arm actuated by the movement of said male die through said series to restrict said female dic from substantial movement during cooperation between said male die and said fema die, means associated with said restricting arm to limit thev total travel thereof, and resilient means associated with said series for urging said restricting arm out of operative association with said female die following cooperation between said male die and said Vemale die.

l0. A package-forming device for use with the weightsensitive means of a scale, said device comprising a frame, a malo die movably mounted o. said frame, a female die mounted on the weight-sensitive means, positioning means suitable for properly aligning a blank on said female die, at least one of said positioning means including a stop for receiving the foremost of a blank, holding means associated with said positioning means for maintaining a blank in proper relation to said female die, wedging means associated with the recessed portion of said female die for retaining a carton formed from a blank in the female die, and restricting means mounted on said frame and operatively connected to saidy mounting means to support said female die said male die moves against a blank placed over said female die.

Ill. A device for use in preparing packages filled with a given amount of product from carton blanks, said device comprising a frame, a scale mounted on said frame, said scale having weightsensitivc means, a vertical portion forming a part of said frame, a movable shaft iournaled on said vertical portion, a die arm mounted on said shaft, a male die pivotably mounted on said die arm, said shaft permitting said male die to move along a generally accurate path toward and away from said weight-sensitive means, a female die mounted on said weight-sensitive means, and positioned to intersect said male die at a point along its path of movement, a series of linked arms operatively connected to said shaft, said series including a generally vertical arm operatively connected at one end thereof to said shaft, a hall joint forming the other end of said generally vertical arm, a housing attached to said ball joint, a generally horizontal arm associated with said housing. spring means operatively connected with one end of said generally horizontal arm to resiliently hold the end within said housing, a post mounted on said frame, a restricting arm pivotally mounted on said post and connected at one end thereof to said generally horizontal arm, shoulders on said restricting arm near the end connected to said generally horizontal arm to limit the total travel of said restricting arm, an enlarged section forming the other end of said restricting arm for insertion below said female die to substantially limit the operation of said weight-sensitive means during the package- Fermin" ration, said restricting arm actuated through l ..5 and said shaft by the movement of said male die so that said enlarged section is moved into operative contact with said female die during movement of said male die toward said female die and out of operartact with said female die during the movement .said male die away from said female die, and resilient ins associated with said series for urging said restrict ing arm out of operative Contact with said female die d: ing the movement of said male die away from said female die. E

l2. A device for use in preparing packages filled with a given amount of product from carton blanks, said device comprising a frame, a body mounted on said frame, wcighnsenstive means in body, weight-re ce ing means mounted on said body for movement tosaid weight-receiving means and said weight se sitive means to transmit the change of position of s id weight-receiving means to said weight-Sensitive means. a die, mounting means attached to said frame and die to permit movement of the die along generally vert l line toward and away from said weight-receiving means, package forming means forming a part of said weight-receiving means and positioned to intersect the die at a point along its line of movement, and blocking means operatively connected with said mounting means adapted to move betw en said weight-receiving means and said body during the movement of said die against said weight-receiving means.

13. A device for use in preparing packages filled with a given amount of product from carton blanks, said device comprising a frame, a body mounted 0n said frame, weight-sensitive means in said body, weight-receiving means mounted on said body for movement toward and away from said body, a rod connecting said weight-sensitive means to said weight-receiving means to transmit the change of position of said weightreceiving means to` said weightsensitive means, a die, mounting means attached to said frame and said die to permit movement of the die along a generally vertical line toward and away from said weight-receiving means, packageforming means forming a part of said weight-receiving means and positioned to intersect the die at a point along its line of movement, and a U-shaped block operatively connected with said mounting means adapted to move between said weightreceiving means and said body and surround said rod during the movement of said die against said weight-receiving means.

References Cited in the le of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS 

